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 New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Celebration of Negro Leagues Night Next Monday, July 27

July 20, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release


Manchester, NH- The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, will hold Celebration of the Negro Leagues Night on Monday, July 27, at 7:05pm, when the Fisher Cats take on the New Britain Rock Cats at Merchantsauto.com Stadium. Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd and award-winning author Larry Tye will be at the ballpark to help celebrate the night. Boyd will be in attendance, courtesy of the Ted Williams Museum.

"The Fisher Cats and the Ted Williams Museum share the mission of preserving and celebrating the history of our national pastime," said Fisher Cats President/General Manager Rick Brenner. "The Celebration of the Negro Leagues Night will serve as a great learning experience for our younger fans and a reminder to all of us of the great players who never got their opportunity to play in the Major Leagues."

"The Ted Williams Museum is proud to join the Fisher Cats in honoring the great players of the Negro Leagues," said Ted Williams Museum Executive Director Dave McCarthy. "Ted Williams personally showed his support back in 1966 at his Cooperstown Hall of Fame Induction speech when he stated, 'I hope someday Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson will be voted into the Hall of Fame as symbols of the great Negro players who are not here only because they weren't given a chance.'"

Boyd and Tye will both be on hand signing autographs and speaking about the Negro Leagues from 5:00pm-6:00pm inside the Samuel Adams Bar & Grill. Tye wrote the book Satchel, which was released earlier this year, and highlights the Negro Leagues and the life of Satchel Paige. Tye also runs the Boston-based Health Coverage Fellowship, which is designed to help the media do a better job covering critical health care issues. Each year it trains 10 medical journalists from newspapers, radio stations and TV outlets from across the country on topics ranging from public health and mental health to insuring the uninsured. Tye has also written four other books, which cover various subjects.

Boyd pitched in the Major Leagues for seven years, including eight with the Red Sox. Boyd posted a career record of 78-77 with a 4.04 ERA in 1389.2 innings. The right-hander was drafted by the Red Sox in 1980 out of Jackson State University in the 16th round, and his childhood hero was Paige.

The Ted Williams Museum will also be displaying part of its Negro League collection for fans to view free of charge at the game.

The Fisher Cats open a four-game series against the Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, tonight at 7:05pm. It's Christmas in July, with the first 2,000 fans in attendance at Merchantsauto.com Stadium receiving a free Fisher Cats Christmas Ornament. For tickets, visit www.nhfishercats.com or call (603) 641-2005.


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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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